"BORN INTO BROTHELS" DIRECTORS ESTABLISHING SCHOOLS IN INDIA

Pretty cool and inspiring:

The two directors of the Oscar-winning documentary "Born Into Brothels," which chronicles the lives of a group of children born to prostitutes in Calcutta's red-light district, plan to set up a school in India, a member of the duo said.

Ross Kauffman, who directed the documentary along with fellow New Yorker Zana Briski, told AFP that the two filmmakers hope to have the school up and running by the start of 2007.

"The idea is to create a safe place for these kids to go, where a small group of kids can get out of that environment. It's a way to make a small difference," the 37-year-old said.

The school will focus on leadership and arts, and will have a capacity for between 50 and 100 students, he added.

"It will be a place for kids to go to get more than a basic education. Where they will be able to expand their horizons more than at a usual school. I am really looking forward to it," said Kauffman.

In the documentary, which was awarded the Academy Award for Best Documentary in February, Briski can be seen struggling to get the children -- four girls and three boys -- accepted into a boarding school and out of the slums. (full article)